Product Information

LifeTime Wood Treatment by Valhalla Wood Preservatives Ltd. is a non-toxic, eco-friendly wood treatment that extends the life of both indoor and outdoor wood surfaces. It is suitable for most, if not all, applications like: decks, fences, siding, flower pots, picnic tables, furniture, raised planters, birdhouses, doors, windows, gazebos, playgrounds, beehives, even floating rafts and marina docks. LifeTime penetrates and hardens wood fibres, without creating any harmful residue in soil or water. Many choose LifeTime solely based off the fact that it is much more affordable than many other stains and it is a one-time, one-coat product which means no maintenance as it will not peel or fade as natural weathering enhances the finished look of the product. While working on an outside project it proves helpful to keep a bucket of the product close by to dip board ends, fresh cuts etc. For larger projects, set up a dipping tank on the ground that is large enough to completely immerse the wood in the solution. Allow wood to sit in the solution for a few minutes. Posts and other wood to be in direct contact with soil should soak for approximately 12 hours.

This product is best used on it’s own as other stains may react adversely and negate the weathering effects. You can still work with the treated products while they are wet as handling or walking on wet wood ill not permanently mark it, except if you sticker it right away. For faster weathering, and accelerated colour change, allow to dry completely (1-2 days) under normal conditions, then wet down with water. The more often the wood is exposed to water and sun, the faster the mature silver-to-dark-brown colour will develop. Since it contains no harsh chemicals, cleanup is easy with just warm soapy water for brushes, rollers, sprayers and hands. No solvents or thinners are required. To prolong the life of your wood, try to clean once a year to remove any dirt or organic accumulations. Wash only with soap and water with a strong bristles brush, or power washer.

Note: The use of oil based and latex products in combination with this product may diminish the effectiveness of this product. LifeTime treated wood requires no other sealers or treatments of any kind. One application will last for the life of the wood. Use care in applying solution as it may permanently stain fabrics, glass, vinyl, stucco, concrete, stone work or chinking. Do not use with fire retardant wood. Do not clean LifeTime treated wood with anything other than water and simple soap (if necessary). Be aware that urine and bird feces will significantly discolour treated wood.

GRK Fasteners is a brand we have been selling in the Weatherwise Cedar Products store for only a short while, but we are extremely fond of the quality and structural capabilities of their products. They are designed for doing a job efficiently with very few if any complications.

At the bottom of the screw is the Zip-Tip, which creates no need for pre-drilling, and allows for faster penetration. The W-Cut on the bottom part of the screw acts like a saw, creating a smoother drive with low torque. Close to the top of the screw you will find the Cee Thread. This part of the screw enlarges the hole which reduces the chance of splitting. The Recessed Star Drive on the screw head allows for zero chance of splitting to occur because of the six contact points. The Washer Head creates greater holding power. Reverse thread on some of the job-specific screws prevents mushrooming from occurring.

The many great aspects of these screws allow for twice as many GRK screws to be used per battery life of a screwdriver. All GRK screws have been evaluated for structural values with IBC/IRC specification. They are AC257 code approved for resistance to corrosion because of the Climatek coating used to further extend the quality of these screws. You can feel confident using these screws thanks to the limited Lifetime Warranty that comes with them. With a complete line of fasteners for many different applications and a very large size range, you can’t go wrong choosing one of GRK Fastener’s products.

Why you need to sand an already planed board?This is another common question we have when we are explaining the preparation process before staining S4S planned deck boards. When wood is planed it ends up with the exterior being covered with something that is called “mill glaze”

Mill glaze is quite easy to remove. All it takes is a light sanding to open up the pores of the wood. Most stains recommend a 50-80 grit sandpaper being used. Anything higher than an 80 grit will begin to reseal the wood and the stain will not penetrate.

Mill glaze is the effect that happens when the knives of the planer get hot during the planing process. When they are hot they affect the fibers in such a way that it acts as if it is glued down. You can notice it when you pick up a planed board and see the sheen it appears to have.

When you come into a store like ours looking for a cedar board one of the most common questions you are going to get right off the top is “Rough, S1S, or S4S?”. With so many different titles for wood, it can get quite confusing. The one thing to note is that all of these have nothing to do with the quality, all it tells you is the state of its faces.

A rough board is exactly what it sounds like. After being cut it hasn’t been planed or changed in any way. It is what is sometimes referred to as re-sawn or bandsaw rough. As I have said before, rough isn’t the grade just the surface. In fact rough is often used because it has the raised grain of the wood has a nice appearance for a featured section, especially when stained.

S1S2E, stands for Smooth 1 Side and 2 Edges. It will be 11/16” of an inch thin by a 1/2” smaller than its title since it has been planned on the one face and the two edges. It is often referred to as “good one side” but that is a red herring since it graded for the re-sawn face. S1S2E products are used for a wide variety of projects varying from encasing pressure treated wood to making bird houses. S1S material is also commonly used in things like window trim, just like the picture below.

S4S is Smooth 4 Sides has a few types. The most common is also referred to as decking. It has been planned on all 4 sides and generally has an eased edge. As result, it is approximately a 1/4-1/2” smaller in both dimensions than its namesake. Another kind of S4S that we can make for you is S4S for appearance. This doesn’t have an eased edge. S4S is commonly used for furniture, decking, handrails, etc. Below is a picture of picnic table made out of S4S material.

Pressure Plus by Sansin is a stain designed for pressure treated wood. Wither you are looking to transform green pressure treated into a beautiful brown, or just enhance the colour of brown pressure treated it is a fantastic product. As an easy one-step process with a soap and water clean up it is truly quite easy to use.